This application is based on Application No. 10-203763 filed in Japan, the content of which is hereby incorporated by reference.
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to image reading apparatuses, and more particularly, to an image reading apparatus including glossiness detecting means for detecting the glossiness of the surface of an original image.
2. Description of the Related Art
A conventional image reading apparatus is for example disclosed by Japanese Patent Laying Open No. 6-70097. The image reading apparatus disclosed by this document reads image information and detects the glossiness of the image surface of an original. The image reading apparatus appropriately corrects read image information to produce image data if the detected glossiness is equal to or higher than a prescribed glossiness.
In the conventional image reading apparatus, a normal reflected light component and a regular reflection component from the image surface of an original are detected and the glossiness is detected based on the ratio of the detected components, irrespectively of normal reading of image information. Therefore, if the glossiness of the image surface is thus detected, a longer time period is necessary for producing the image data than otherwise.
In the conventional image reading apparatus which detects the glossiness of the image surface of the original, such detection of the glossiness is necessarily performed in any case. As a result, even if the glossiness of the image surface of an original is relatively low and the above described correction of image data is not necessary, it takes a long period of time to produce image data in the conventional apparatus.
Therefore, the present invention is in view of the above described circumstances and it is one object of the present invention is to provide an image reading apparatus which can produce appropriate image data irrespectively of the glossiness of the image surface of an original, and takes a shorter period of time as possible to produce image data.
Another object of the present invention is to provide image data according to the state of the image surface of an original.
According to one aspect of the present invention, the image reading apparatus includes glossiness detection portions for detecting the glossiness of the image surface of an original and control portions for prohibiting the operation of the glossiness detection portions.
By the image reading apparatus according to the present invention, the glossiness of the image surface of an original may be performed or may not be performed.
Therefore, the glossiness is detected if necessary while it is not detected if it is not necessary, so that the time required of producing data may be reduced.
The image reading apparatus preferably further includes input portions for setting image forming conditions, and the control portions prohibits the operation of the glossiness detection portions if a prescribed image condition is set in the input portions at the time of producing image data.
Thus, whether or not to detect the glossiness of the image surface of an original can be determined as the user desires.
The image reading apparatus further includes determination portions which determines an image mode based on the detection output of said glossiness detection portions and a set image forming condition, reads the image information of an original, and produces image data based on the image information and the image mode, and the determination portions determines one kind of image modes among at least three kinds of prescribed image modes based on the detection output.
Thus, image data more faithful to the state of the image surface of the original can be produced than the case of determining an image mode based on whether the glossiness is not less than a prescribed value.
The process of producing image data by the image reading apparatus preferably includes xcex3 correction or color correction, and the content of processing by xcex3 correction or color correction is changed when the image mode is changed according to the detection output of the glossiness detection portions.
Thus, the relation between the reflectance of light upon the surface of an original and the density of produced image data (reflectance-density characteristic) can be corrected. Note that the reflectance of light upon the surface of an original changes as the glossiness of the image surface of the original changes. As a result, image data more faithful to the state of the image surface of the original can be more effectively produced.
In the image reading apparatus, the control portions preferably prohibits the operation of the glossiness detection portions when the use of an automatic document feeder for transporting an original is set as an image forming condition.
Thus, if the use of the automatic feeder for transferring an original is set as an image forming condition, the glossiness of the image surface of the original is not detected. Note that the glossiness of the image surface of an original is usually low when such a condition is set.
Therefore, the image reading apparatus detects the glossiness of the image surface of an original when necessary, while automatically stop detecting the glossiness of an original if it is determined that the influence of the glossiness can be ignored in producing image data. As a result, time required for producing image data can be automatically reduced in this image reading apparatus.
The control portions preferably prohibits the operation of the glossiness detection portions when a condition about adjustment of the picture quality for image data to be produced is set as an image forming condition.
Thus, when a condition related to adjustment of the picture quality of image data to be produced is set as an image forming condition, the glossiness of the image surface of the original is not detected. Note that when such a condition is set, it is often the case that the user does not prefer the image to be automatically corrected by the machine.
Therefore, the image reading apparatus detects the glossiness when necessary, while automatically stops detecting the glossiness if it is determined that the influence of the glossiness can be ignored in producing image data. As a result, in the image reading apparatus, time required for producing image data can be automatically reduced.
In the image reading apparatus, the control portions makes non-detection control when the use of bound original sheets is set as an image forming condition.
Thus, when the use of bound original sheets is set as an image forming condition, the glossiness of the image surface of the original sheets will no longer be detected. Note that when such a condition is set, it is often the case that the glossiness of the image surface of the original sheets is low.
Therefore, the image reading apparatus automatically stops detecting the glossiness of the image surface of an original when it is determined that the glossiness of the image surface of the original is low and the influence of the glossiness can be ignored in producing image data. As a result, in the image reading apparatus, time required for producing image data can be automatically reduced.
According to another aspect of the present invention, the image reading apparatus includes glossiness detection portions which produces image data according to an image mode and detects the glossiness of the image surface of the original, control portions which prohibits the operation of the glossiness detection portions, and input portions which sets an image mode, and the control portions controls the operation of the glossiness detection portions based on the image mode set by the input portions.
Thus, the control portions can determine whether or not to detect the glossiness based on the input image mode.
As a result, the glossiness may be detected when necessary, while the glossiness is not detected in producing image data when detection of the glossiness is not necessary, so that time required for producing image data can be reduced.
The foregoing and other objects, features, aspects and advantages of the present invention will become more apparent from the following detailed description of the present invention when taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings.